Category Archives: Fitness

When I set up Zest Bootcamp in Bath back in 2009 I really had no idea of whether it would work but I’m happy to say that it did!

Over the last 9 years we have gone through several changes but one thing that hasn’t changed is my passion to help more people to feel healthier, fitter and happier.

Fitness Classes at Zest Bootcamp in Bath

The outdoor group exercise classes are a great way for people, especially those who don’t like the gym environment, to get their bodies moving in a friendly, supportive group. Often people think that the British weather is going to be a problem, but to the contrary, you’d be surprised at how infrequent we have any rain at the classes. Being outdoors is actually what attracts many of the Zest Bootcamp members, aka “zesties”, to the classes as so many of us spend our lives indoors so it’s nice to get out in nature. It’s a chance to see mother nature, listen to the birds, feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your skin and watch as the trees change through the seasons. Being out in nature is actually very calming and can help to destress us far more than going to the gym.

Here is our brand new video showing you a bit more about what we do and hopefully that we are nothing like the military style bootcamps such as British Military Fitness than some people might imagine we are similar to.

Other benefits of the classes include the fact that your space is pre-booked so you can’t make excuses not to exercise and let’s face it you don’t get results if you don’t actually attend the classes and do the exercise. We do all the preparation and thinking for you so you just turn up with a “can do” attitude and we will ensure you get a great workout and results that you will be proud of. Zest Bootcamp is more akin to group personal training than a large scale bootcamp and along with the classes there are numerous other benefits including nutritional support and much more. You may also spot that we do fitness boxing in the classes – generally something most women joining us have not done before and something most Zesties love!

Unlike some group classes, we cap our numbers so that everyone can get the attention they deserve and technique is something we really focus on to get the best results possible. This being said we do balance out the classes with some fun so that the experience is still enjoyable.

Most of our long term members joined us for a trial week and then stayed because they enjoyed it so much – one lady is in her 7th year and she’s now in her 60’s so age is no barrier. We have a variety of people coming to the classes including several runners who love the fact we do strength training, core work and flexibility that helps with their running.

So if you have been thinking about trying something different or just starting some kind of regular exercise programme then hopefully you can see that there is life outside the gym.

I’d love to welcome you to a taster week soon and show you how you can feel great. Just go to www.zestbootcamp.co.uk to register for a trial week and we will be in touch. The next one is November 20th otherwise it will be January 2018 – perhaps to burn off all that Christmas pudding!

When I met Natasha Musson I knew instantly she must exercise regularly because she exudes health, energy and confidence (and looks great too) so it was no surprise to find out she runs in the mornings with her dog ‘Fizz” – what a fab name!

The reason she doesn’t come to our early morning Zest Bootcamp classes is purely because she lives in Somerset so not very convenient at 6.30am.

It seemed a great combination to mix fitness and fashion so we held a style event for some of the “zesties” after one of our members had had a great 1-1 session with Natasha.

The Sip, Style & Swap Style Event is a format Natasha devised 7 years ago when she started her business, with the aim of bringing fashion into the front room in a relaxed environment. To inspire, to teach and to show women on trend styles, new fashion tips through demonstration and open conversation. No selling, just talking creative concepts of how to produce new looks.

The evening kicked off with Natasha doing a presentation once everyone was furnished with a glass of fizz and some of the common questions and dilemmas many women had were addressed such as, ‘What is smart casual?; ‘What trends can we wear that are age appropriate?’ ‘How do I wear modern clothing without feeling like mutton dressed as lamb’.

Natasha had connected with 3 shops in Bath to enhance her offering… Anthropologie, Hobbs and Instant Vintage. Displaying a series of looks on her mannequin, first up was ‘how to wear glamorous jackets with chinos and t-shirts’.

Next up was this seasons prints from Hobbs and then we discussed a tricky orange shirtdress with sleeve ties around the waist – yes for real!.

After a good hour of demos, inspired looks, everyone was in full fashion swing on the sofa, chatting, buzzing from fizz and fashion.

The final part of the evening was for the Swap and Style Advise. Natasha had asked everyone attending to bring something for the swapping rail (one person junk is another’s treasure). They also had to bring a garment that they didn’t wear and needed Style Advise on.

Learning how to wear a bikers jacket over the age of 60 and look great

This was such an interesting part of the evening as everyone openly decided that the ‘one to ones’ be conducted in front of the whole group. The feeling was, they wanted to learn style advise from the feedback she gave to each individual so, one by one, all 15 individually stepped into the ‘circle of style’. We had huge fun encouraging each member how to wear the garments that had been siting in the back of their wardrobes.

From suede mini skirts, designer red coats, fringed cotton striped skirts, black biker jackets, old work dresses and new designer blouses. Garments that had arrived with a big question mark ‘will I ever wear this?’ finally got a big ‘yes, great I’m wearing that next week’ .The room was a buzz with excitement and confidence – a bit like some sessions at Bootcamp (except everyone was looking a bit more glam 🙂

The swapping part of the evening was very relaxed, ladies having to get off the sofa after a few glasses of fizz to try on clothes that others had brought in. They all went home with a goodie bag, a smile on their face and lots of ideas to try at home as well as several of them with someone else’s “unwanted” items that turned into treasure 🙂 Infact I indirectly ended up with a lovely Desigual dress which I “swapped” for a Zest Bootcamp T shirt!

It was a fun and informative evening and if you have a group of people I highly recommend it as something different to do socially. Thank you to our lovely host Laurie for not only offering her house but also the delicious nibbles which ended with very spectacular white chocolate mini cheesecakes -totally non-bootcamp friendly but SO good!

Natasha is offering £50 voucher off her styling services to bootcamp clients or anyone reading this blog if you mention my name.

Style parties can be organized at £25 per head with a minium of 10 attending

I’m not sure about you but Christmas feels like an age ago with the chocolate overload that many of us seem to have enjoyed over the festive season. Since then we’ve had dry January and lots of green juices to get our bodies back in shape and ready for spring. Now it’s time to start thinking of that summer holiday you may have booked and maybe the beach body you are looking to feel confident of. So along with regular exercise you need to find a sustainable way of eating that doesn’t feel like you are depriving yourself. One of my new clients remarked on how I clearly love my food which she liked. It’s true I do love food (maybe it’s my Portuguese heritage) and I really believe life is too short to miss out on eating delicious things. If you also love food and ned to exercise to balance it out check out my blog post with a bodyweight workout that anyone can do to get fitter and stronger and if you are off to ski it is perfect. Click here for the free workout

Sometimes nothing beats a little sweet treat with a cup of tea or coffee so why not make it a healthy one that you can enjoy.

ZITA’S PROTEIN BITES

These easy to make high protein tasty treats are packed with good nutrition, fibre, good fats and are a satisfying way to enjoy a sweet treat that also gives you a good boost of protein. All ingredients should be available in good health food shops or supermarkets and the protein powder can be ordered via this link – click here. (You could use alternative protein powders too)

Melt coconut oil with peanut butter and molasses and add to dry ingredients with milk, mix well and roll into small balls then refrigerate. Balls can also be rolled in sesame seeds to finish. Makes about 10 balls

I’m delighted to have won an award at Maximise 2016 annual conference and awards organised by Women’s Business Club.

The day was held in the beautiful Pittville Pump rooms in Cheltenham and was packed with all kinds of businesses who had stands, alongside a variety of speakers, a fashion show and then the award ceremony at the end.

I had a stand to share my cookbooks and the Total Body Shape up Plan as Zest Bootcamp classes and 1-1 personal training is location dependant and people came to the event from all over the country.

One of the talks I went to was about Mindfulness, something I know I need to practice more of so spent a lovely 10 mins calming my thoughts and learning some great tips.

On a practical level I took a big bottle of water with me to have at the stand so I knew I could stay hydrated as well as some healthy snacks as wasn’t sure what kind of food would be on offer – planning is key to eat healthily. (hopefully you spotted the water in the photo)

The fashion show included some lovely hats and other designer accessories from Tricia Designs.

I caught up briefly with Sheryl Andrews who has just launched her book “Managing your Critic” as well as Carol of Pink and Green skincare products – infact I was having a nice cup of tea and chatting to Carol when I suddenly realised they were calling my name as I had won an award!

It was great to see all the winners of other awards and lovely for Jennifer Hall, aka The Life Buddy to win an award for speaker of the Year – Jen previously hosted the Bath Women’s Business Club which I now host once a month. If you are reading this and based in or near Bath why not come next Wednesday to our special #shoplocal Christmas market event where you can either just shop between 11-12 noon and then go or you can book the networking business lunch and get a free table beforehand so you can showcase your goodies and make some festive sales. The meeting is held at beautiful Bailbrook house and you can book here

It seems wearing my pink dress was a hit again as I had endless compliments about it and I kept telling people that it is because I had my colours done by House of Colour so I knew that the colour suited me and therefore had the confidence to wear such a bright dress. If I had time alongside the health & fitness I would train as an image consultant and help others discover what colours suit them best as I am really passionate about it but in the meantime I can point you in the direction of Gilly who is a local Bath/Bristol stylist who I’m sure would love to help you.

Back to feeling healthy, if any of you would like to get a plan in place for the start of 2017 and focus on eating healthier and putting your health back on track I’d love to share the shape up plan with you as it is a simple way to eat good food to nourish your body.

There are shopping lists of what to buy each week and what to eat each day/week plus recipes and I guarantee you will love the food.

I’m going to offer you a special price of £57 for this 8 week plan if you buy it before 10 December (after that it will be going back to the £77 full price).

Sorry the discounted link has now expired, however you can still purchase the 8 week plan by clicking here

You can read more details about the Shape Up Plan by clicking here but really all your need to know is that once you receive your manual you follow it, along with being supported in the private Facebook group, and the result is that you will look and feel fantastic just like a few of these people before you.

”My energy levels are SO much better”

“It has reduced sweet cravings associated with sugar lows”

“I am sleeping better despite menopausal night sweats”

”I’m going out on my bike for longer and can manage it due to better eating”

”I’ve lost inches and feel good – even though I’ve not followed the plan exactly as I am a vegetarian – happily recommend it”

To me it’s normally fitness Friday (later followed by fizzy Friday) but there’s no getting away from the fact that today is Black Friday so I wanted to offer you something special as everyone else in the world seems to be!

A healthy body starts in the kitchen (well the supermarket really) so to help you plan and prepare some tasty meals that are also gluten and sugar free as well as not containing dairy products I have 2 great cookbooks you will love.

The first is my 30 day fat loss cookbook that has 90 recipes – breakfasts, lunches and dinners that the whole family will love – trust me, a lot of people have been enjoying this cookbooks over the last few years.

If you like things a bit more spicy there is my Clean and Lean Curry Cookbook with almost 100 recipes, many of which are suitable for vegetarians, perfect for these cold winter days.

Also there is my simple 7 day detox plan that tells you exactly what to eat over a 7 day period to help banish any bloating, feel healthier and also drop a few pounds (you could do this before Christmas to help you feel great at those parties). Don’t worry it’s not 7 days of celery and cottage cheese, far from it infact, just 3 tasty, healthy meals a day that won’t leave you feeling hungry.

LISA – working mother of 2 lost 6lbs on the detox plan

“Zita’s 7 day detox worked really well for me – It gave me the kick start that I needed and plenty of inspiration to continue with the good eating habits after the 7 days. I have continued to have the smoothies for breakfast as they are perfect to take to work and the healthy habits really did make an impression on me and have stayed front of mind ever since. During the 7 days I felt stronger, slept better and had so much more energy. I also lost 6lb which was fantastic. I Highly recommend! – Give it a go.”

Some of you may want these now so that you know come January when the festivities are over you have something to help you kickstart a healthy 2017.

With the 7 day detox you also get free access to our private Facebook group for extra support and ideas (priceless) – perfect for a January kickstart.

All of this would normally cost £24 but as it is Black Friday I am giving you a very special deal…

You can have all of these PLUS my 10 minute core workout for just £12.99

Yes just £12.99 – what’s not to love about Black Friday!

Please note these are all digital download products and nothing physical will be sent – click the Paypal link below to get started.

The offer will expire on 30 November so grab your offer now to start using straight away or ready for January – either way this is an offer not to be missed!

All you have to do is click the Paypal link below and then I will send you your products to the email address provided. If you have any questions please email fitnesszita@gmail.com.

We all know that water is vital for life and even if we didn’t have food for several days/weeks we would survive along as we had water to drink. Given over 70% of our body is made up of water you can see why and also that’s why it is so important to stay hydrated every day (quick go grab a glass of water whilst you read this).

So how long would we survive without oxygen?

Not long as we need it to give life to our bodies to enter our blood stream and be pumped around our body by our heart and enter our cells and give us the energy we need.

This is exactly why on an airplane we are told to always put on our oxygen mask first before helping other with theirs.

I’ve done a little video to explain this more and help you understand the relationship between the oxygen mask and living a healthy lifestyle.

I was recently visiting a school friend who now has 3 children, aged 4 -13, and she had got out of the habit of doing some exercise each morning and wanted to start it again as she knew it made her feel better, so on the Sunday morning before breakfast we did it together.

One of the children was off playing football so we had the 4 year old join us and the teenager had good intentions to do it too but her bed was too cosy on a Sunday morning instead (can’t blame her really!). Simple bodyweight exercises that didn’t take long at all, apart from when I showed my friend how to do press ups properly.*

In my years of coaching men and women the press-up is one of the hardest exercise to master but it can be done and it is such a great exercise to build strength in the chest, shoulders, triceps, core (if you can do it on your toes) and it also burns calories as it elevates the heart rate – plus you get the added bonus of extra calories burn at rest because you have built more muscle fibres.

I’ll say that again as it is something women especially don’t think about…. one of the benefits of increasing your muscle mass (without looking like a body builder) is that it raises your metabolism after exercise so you burn more calories whilst at work, sleeping, driving, watching TV etc.

So be sure to learn how to do your exercises properly to get the most value out of them and if you’d like a complimentary copy of my 10 minute core workout then click below for my simple bodyweight routine.

Be a good role model to your children by eating the right food and doing your exercise and also remember that in order to help them now and in the future it is important you look after yourself by putting on your own oxygen mask first.

Infact, although I don’t have children I do have a lot of demands placed on me like most people, so even I have to remind myself to prioritise my exercise sometimes and that’s why I am happy to pay in advance to go to some group sessions so they are booked in my diary and I work my clients around that some days, to make sure I am feeling as good as I can to service my clients the best I can.

Have a great day
Zita x

ps We all went out for lunch that Sunday to Pizza Express as the kids love pizza and it was close by and me and my friend had a delicious superfood salad which you could add chicken or salmon too for extra protein. Highly recommended – click here for a photo

*In the press up photo I should really be tucking my chin in more to keep my head better aligned with my body and also my hips could be a couple of inches lower if we want to be really precise 🙂

I was recently asked if I’d like to host a women’s business networking club in Bath that I had been a member of for a while and although I’m pretty busy already I thought why not!

I knew it would take me out of my comfort zone but I also knew that it would meant I had to learn new things and develop new skills that would help me grow so why not seize the opportunity – as offers like that don’t come around every day and my belief is that I’d rather have a go at something and if it doesn’t workout that’s fine, at least I tried, rather than in the future regretting that I didn’t give it a go.

That’s the reason that I had my own fitness product the Ztrainer, that was sold on Amazon, amongst several other things I’ve tried over the years. Looking back maybe wish I hadn’t wasted time on some things but hindsight is a wonderful thing right!

Sometimes I think that the fear of the unknown and all the stories we make up in our head stop us doing so many of the things we could and should in order to feel better. Before my first time hosting Women’s Business Club I was nervous, worried if I could do it and loads of other stories in my head – reality was it went really well and I had need not worry.

That’s why at Zest Bootcamp we have the option of doing a trial week before committing to the full month but even that is too much for some people who lack the confidence to just commit and do it. Only today at bootcamp we had a member return after 5 years away (she had been living abroad) but in that time she had had her 50th birthday so was worried that if she returned she would be surrounded by loads of super fit youngsters strutting around in lycra. Far from it, infact one of the ladies in the group is 60 and can put some of the “youngsters” to shame!

The text I had after class says it all….

I’ve worked hard to ensure that Zest Bootcamp offers a supportive place for all types of women (and some men) to improve their, health, fitness and wellbeing no matter what their age or ability and this is exactly what is offered at Women’s Business Club groups so if you are a business woman in or around Bath who would like to meet some other like-minded women is a non-competitive, judgemental environment to help develop your skills, contacts and also have some fun and time out plus some delicious food then why not come along as a visitor to our next meeting on Wed 5th October at the lovely Bailbrook House. The lunchtime meetings are held every month so if you can’t make this one then come in November. Click here to book a place at the business lunch or click here to come for a trial week at Zest Bootcamp.

Women’s Business Club Bath September

ps If you are still not convinced about coming for a trial week at Zest Bootcamp why not look at our Facebook page where there is a joint testimonial video from several of our members.

Whether you are happy with the result of the referendum or not, the one thing you can control is your health and wellness.

No matter what life throws at us,no one can deny that being in good health, feeling fit and energetic will helps us deal with things better.

So if you stayed up late or all night to watch the votes come in, be sure to get to bed early tonight as when we don’t get enough sleep our immunity is one of the things that suffers so you will be more prone to catching any summer colds flying around.

Also our sugar cravings can go a bit wild if we miss out on the correct amount of sleep and appetite a bit haywire – the body is so clever and looks after us if we look after it.

This week at bootcamp we have gotten a little wet to say the least but even in the rain the park looked beautiful and everyone got a good workout so stop making excuses and just get on with it – exactly like the crews did as shown in one of the videos on my Instagram page here

Result or excuse you can’t have both as proved this week by a previous personal training client coming back for support as she thought she could do it on her own but 6 months later she feels rubbish because she stopped exercising and eating well.

Also a new 1-1 client, after just a few weeks, is noticing how much fitter she feels, her clothes are looser, she is sleeping better and her confidence is going up – she stopped making excuses and put energy into herself which in turn will rub off in a positive way with her children, husband and at work.

*** Don’t wait for there to be a problem to start paying attention to your health. ***

High blood pressure and other health conditions can often go unnoticed for many years, especially if someone isn’t overweight as they might assume they are healthy.

So I vote that you prioritise your health

have a great weekend

Zita “not at Glastonbury festival so no face painting this weekend” Alves

ps For anyone who prefers to exercise indoors why not download your f.ree copy of my core workout if you haven’t tried it yet. Click here

Ladies if you are struggling with how you feel about your body then I’d love to help you. I share some of my health & wellbeing tips during this interview I did with sought after Dating coach Ane Auret who, just like me, is passionate about helping women to feel their best.

Click the link below to listen to the podcast and find out how you can easily do something about the way you feel.